DSS#4: A-Frame
The cache, a camo-taped tablet pot, is hidden amongst the granite beach rocks in this scenic area.
To access the cache:
Park at or near S 34 12.513 E 18 27.628, descend the steps, locate the small trail near S 34 12.525 E 18 27.659 and follow this down onto the beach and cache location.
It was placed in recognition of AndyT1's cache GC2T9RK: A-frame which was archived on 2/12/16 after 64 finds. It was one of a memorable and notably well-prepared 14-cache series published simultaneously on 24/12/2011 - to the great excitement of local cachers who in response feverishly assembled a pre-dawn FTF mission! The mission was only partially successful with 3 FTFs - a certain early bird CapeCCR having nabbed the other 11 some few minutes before!
The original series was not numbered and the current numbering is based on the sequence of caches running north to
south. As at January 2017, 7 of the original 14 caches have been archived and are targeted for replacement at nearby new locations. Thanks are due to AndyT1 for kindly agreeing to the use of his excellent original cache descriptions, which described the dive sites and featured local 'critters', as reference material in preparing the new cache descriptions.
The key resource material for divers wishing to dive these sites is the excellent Diving the Cape Peninsula and False_Bay which gives thorough and comprehensive general information and links to specific information for most of the numerous individual dive sites covered. The web-site is a mine of information on the various underwater aspects of the peninsula and bay and is well worth a read even by non-divers (such as myself).
Dive Site Description
This site at Oatlands Point is one of the most popular shore dives and was named after a wooden tripod navigation beacon which was replaced by a simple post. It has a sandy floor at 5-10m with a bedrock reef and big boulders, some breaking the surface. There are a few swim-throughs among the boulder groups north of the big rock.
There are numerous anemones, sponges and crinoids. Black mussels patches on the sand bottom further out may support large groups of Spiny starfish. The outer reefs have many Common feather stars and smaller numbers of Elegant feather stars. Perlemoen (abalone) seem to be making a recovery, with numbers of small specimens scattered around the reefs. There is a wide variety of habitats with a wide range of inhabitants.
It is a good photographic site, with a good variety of seaweed, invertebrates and fish. Macro and wide angle equipment will usually give good results.
See here for more information and a dive site map.
Featured Critter – Orange-Clubbed Nudibranch (Limacia clavigera)
This sea slug occurs on both sides of the peninsula, from at least Saldanah Bay to Port Alfred, and is found on vertical sea walls and kelp fronds, usually found in small groups. It feeds on bryzoans, especially membranous lace animals. It can reach a length of 30mm.
See here for more interesting information on this colourful creature.